Human Services major named UD Woman of Promise

Nikki Dombrowski, a student in UD’s Honors Program majoring in human services was recognized by UD as a Women of Promise in March 2018. Her time at the University has been marked by a genuine passion for making a difference.

During her human services internship, Dombrowski worked at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Wilmington, Delaware, where she planned a charity prom dress sale for local high school students. She participated in two service trips organized by the UD Alternative Spring Breaks (UDaB) program, helping homeless families. Most significantly, as co-executive director for UDance, she led a team of 60 executive board members and more than 5,000 UD students-–helping to raise more than $2 million to battle childhood cancer.

“These experiences, coupled with the incredible opportunities I have had to interact with faculty and staff at UD, inspired me to take my passion for this cause into my studies,” Dombrowski said.

Under the guidance of human development and family sciences professor Barbara Settles, Dombrowski chose to focus her capstone research on the family impact of childhood cancer from the siblings’ perspective.

“Nikki is a top-notch scholar and her honors capstone presentation was impressive. It really connected with the students,” Settles said. “She has used her time at the University wisely, developing her leadership skills and applying her in-depth study toward service in the community. She has already become a professional in human services and we expect a great deal from her in the future.”

As she prepares to graduate and transitions into nonprofit, social change work in New York City, Dombrowski is already appreciative of the value of her UD experience. “My coursework in human services has been a foundation to all that I have been involved in,” she said. “It has taught me how to be part of a team, to be sensitive to differences, how to find problems and solve them.”

Read more in Dombroski’s 2018 UDaily article.